Mario Destephen joined Hilltop in January 2022 after completing his Master of Arts in American Government and Politics at Georgetown University. At Hilltop, Mario works on mobilization campaigns, provides research and writing services, and was instrumental in Hilltop’s successful efforts on behalf of clients in the 2022 midterm elections.

Mario’s political experience includes work as a grassroots coordinator in New York City on behalf of entities such as the ACLU and Planned Parenthood. While in college, Mario also worked as a communications intern on Beto O’Rourke’s 2018 Senate campaign. In 2019, he led social media strategy for Houston’s LatPac chapter and helped launch a new progressive politics podcast for the organization. LatPac was formed in late 2016 to engage and mobilize the Latino American community.

Mario received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science from Rice University in 2020.